IND vs BAN: India Needed This Kind Of A Match: Ravi Shastri On India's Hard-Fought Win Over Sri Lanka

Team India, on Tuesday (September 12), registered a hard-fought win over Sri Lanka in the fourth match of the Super 4 of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. The Men in Blue were on the verge of suffering a shock defeat at the R. Premadasa Stadium against the high-flying home side. Ravi Shastri has emphasized why India needed a game like the one against Sri Lanka.

Riding on Dunith Wellalage’s sensational spell, Sri Lanka bowled out India for a modest total of 213 runs. The 20-year-old ran through India’s top and middle order and dismissed the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He finished the innings with impressive figures for 5 for 40 off his 10 overs. For India, captain Rohit was the top-scorer, scoring 53 runs.

But the Indian bowlers made sure there was no upset in Colombo as they bowled Sri Lanka for 172 to guide the team to a hard-fought 41-run win. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj had reduced Sri Lanka to 25 for 3 by taking 2 and 1 wicket respectively before spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav took charge. Kuldeep picked up 4 wickets while Jadeja picked up 2 as India sealed their spot in the final of Asia Cup 2023.

Ravi Shastri on India’s narrow win:

While India’s performance against Sri Lanka has invited criticism from certain quarters, former allrounder and India head coach Ravi Shastri believes it was much-needed. Ravi Shastri stated that India need such close matches to prepare for the final.

“It was a fabulous match and you must give credit to Sri Lanka as well. India were 80/0 and then to keep them to 213 with the spinners taking all the wickets for the first time against India. It was great effort. A young Dunith Wellalage What a performance from him. He took five wickets and then batted the way he did. He is way above his age,” Ravi Shastri said on Star Sports

“They needed this kind of a match. You have to fight. You have to do well as a unit. You have to field well. It was a collective performance on the field. This will hold them in good stead in the final,” Ravi Shastri added.

Meanwhile, India will take on either Sri Lanka or Pakistan in the Asia Cup final on Sunday (September 17). Before that, the Men in Blue will lock horns against Bangladesh in their last Super 4 assignment. India are yet to lose a match in the ongoing tournament and would be looking to extend their winning run against Bangladesh.